Auction Egos. posted by DBoy

[CSJournals-migration]

I'm still scratching my head why?

 

Last night I was on eBay bidding on a comic that I needed to nearly complete a set I am building. The title and price are unimportant but the story behind the whole auction is so here goes.

 

About a week ago I was on eBay searching for CGC graded books when the book in question popped up and it was an auction style listing. The book was CGC graded 9.8 universal with Off white to white pages with a shipping fee. Now there was another book just like it on eBay but CBCS graded 9.8 with white pages with free shipping but as a buy it now price. I said to myself ok this is good right? I'll will bid on the CGC auction because I'm sure it will go for less that the CBCS because it has OW/W pages and it has a shipping charge right? So I placed a bid the last day of the action for the book and my bid was just under a $1 of what the other buy it now price was of the CBCS graded book was. There was still a few hours left to the action so I went out to do things around town and just randomly checking on the auction status. I had had noticed little increments bids going up but nothing near half of what the buy it now price was and what I had bid.

 

Fast forward now to the last few seconds of the auction the book is holding at the same price it had been for the last 2 hours and I thought oh yeah this book is mine right? Wrong! I had been outbid by a sniper bidder in the last few seconds of the auction not only by 1 but 2 bidders. I was a bit dissapointment and more shocked than anything. How could an equally graded book but with worse page quality book with a shipping fee of over $12 go for more than an equally grade but better page quality book with free shipping go for more? It just doesn't make sense unless egos are involved here and they just want to feel good that someone else was denied the chance to own it. I don't know I don't have the answer cause it still baffles me.

 

Thanks for reading and have a great new year!

 

See more journals by DBoy

[KPR Comics]

Myriad reasons why:

CGC vs CBCS

CGC seller might have higher fb/stars

Bidders might have other items from same seller that they were bidding on and were trying to spread the shipping costs

Bidders might have limited their search to CGC 9.8 only thus not seeing the CBCS listing

Psychology of a bidding war

Shill

 

Did you buy the other book?

 

[JMoses]

He/she is possibly a Registry Set collector like yourself, making CBCS graded books not an option, since they can't be placed in the registry.

[DBoy]

I still didn't buy the other book not because it's CBCS but because it's over priced.

[KPR Comics]

Wasn't your bid was $1 less than the BIN?

[n2wdw]

To me it's clear

 

I trust cgc, I don't know cbcs

 

You're relying on cbcs that it has white pages. Maybe you've dealt with them and trust them, which is cool

 

But for me I don't trust cbcs - I'll wait a few years and see how things stand then as to their reputation in fandom.

 

Even then though, assuming cgc is still around, I'll probably stay with cgc for the registry. Cgc's registry is the biggest long term obstacle to competing grading companies like cbcs, IMHO

 

 

 

[surfer99]

Wasn't your bid was $1 less than the BIN?

 

That's what I was thinking. If it's a book you really need to complete a set and it has better page quality and free shipping, why not pay the extra dollar? Unless you plan to have it regraded by CGC in which case you have the grading fees and the risk of the grade dropping...if this is the thinking then it makes more sense.

 

 

[DBoy]

The person actually wond up paying almost $30 over the BIN price including shipping.